Arne Slot praised the effort of Federico Chiesa after the winger’s last-gasp goal-line clearance prevented Liverpool from losing to Sunderland.
Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw by the newly-promoted Black Cats on Wednesday night, but required a late intervention from Chiesa to prevent defeat.
As Liverpool committed bodies forward in search of a winner at Anfield, Sunderland broke rapidly as goalkeeper Robin Roefs released Wilson Isidor with a brilliant kick.
The French forward rounded Alisson Becker but was denied a famous winner as Chiesa hurtled back to clear off the line.
The latter has struggled for regular first-team football at Liverpool but remains a popular figure given his endeavour. Slot praised the attitude of the substitute, whose late heroics endured Liverpool avoided another home defeat.
“Yeah, I think in the final minutes of the game we were close, in my opinion, to making the 2-1 because we had a few set-pieces, were constantly around their box.
“They couldn’t actually come out of that situation anymore. But then from one of those set-pieces, from the second phase we brought the ball in and their goalkeeper caught the ball. I looked up and I saw a player of theirs completely free at the halfway line.
Federico Chiesa stops a Sunderland a stoppage-time winner, Robin Roefs can’t believe it! pic.twitter.com/QHkpCnPXU4
“The good thing from Fede was that he could have thought, ‘Ah, it’s nothing for me to do anymore, I’m so far away from the situation.’ But he kept sprinting. Ali [Alisson Becker] moved him to the outside, and as a result of that Fede could clear the ball off the line, which was I think the minimum we deserved tonight and the minimum his effort deserved as well.
“I mean with that, that the draw was the minimum we deserved tonight.”
pic.twitter.com/QHkpCnPXU4
